Explore Science-first Philosophy

Non-Self or Anatman and Self or Atman

~ < 1 of audio

Non-Self or Anatman and Self or Atman

Your idea of "self" does not exist.

30 Phil, Chapter 6, Buddhism, Touchstone 15: Illusion: Self and Non-self.

The Buddhist terms of Atman and Anatman relate to the idea of “Self,” or “Atman,” your eternal soul and the Buddhist doctrine of “Non-Self,” or “Anātman.” To understand non-self, you have to understand the concept of “emptiness,” which refers to the idea that nothing lasts forever. “Non-self” says what we consider our “self” does not exist. What we perceive as an unchanging “self” or “soul,” is actually a collection of ever-changing physical and mental components, such as form, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. There is no enduring “I,” existing independently of these aggregates.

Tidbits are written to stand alone, but they are also designed to interlock—forming a research layer that supports deeper synthesis.
TouchstoneTruth is a living body of work built around single ideas, each explored carefully and revised openly over time.
The end.
Scroll to Top